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Yuichiro furtively glanced at the pretty purple head surrounded by a minuscule number of her many admirers. She was smiling, nodding her head in encouragement as one of them explained the benefits of agreeing to be his muse. Once or twice, Yuichiro thought that he caught her brown eyes snapping in his direction, but with how he had harbored a crush on her for so long, such fantasies weren't rare.
Shinoa brushed a stray hair out of her eye, and Yuichiro's fingers twitched, wishing it was his hand instead. He heard one of the artists tell her that he was an expert when it came to drawing short people, and one didn't have to be a genius to know that after that little stunt that he had lost all chance of Shinoa modeling for him; or even Shinoa talking to him period.
Yuichiro would probably the best artist for her, he mused from where he sat as he watched her laugh at something one said because he had memorized every single detail of Shinoa; not to mention the fact that he was the best artist in his class. Yuichiro resisted the urge to smirk. Shinoa wasn't even the best model in her class, but she was so stunningly beautiful that many longed to draw her.
No, she wasn't the best. The best model was him. The seventeen-year-old Mikaela Hyakuya.
With some difficulty, Yuichiro tore his eyes away from the young lady towards the center where he knew Mikaela stood. He expected the model to have just as many artists, if not even more so, vying for his attention.
He was right.
Mikaela was surrounded by both girls and boys, and Yuichiro couldn't help but pity him as he idly wondered if Mikaela could even hear himself think in the middle of the chaos. Their voices were so loud that it nearly drowned everything else in the room, incessant chattering buzzing all around him. Yuichiro sighed, a hand going up to massage his temple in distress. He should probably go and sweet talk one of those models, but the artist held no interest for most of them, and if anything else, they should be the ones approaching him.
Green eyes swept over the room in search for inspiration and stopped on two particular people. Shinoa with her exotic purple hair and warm chocolate eyes would look absolutely gorgeous on his canvas, and Yuichiro could use this opportunity to bring himself closer to his crush, but... Yuichiro's eyes shifted and widened in surprise when icy blue eyes flickered to meet his.
The world stopped because no- no way... If he wasn't dreaming then he had probably already died and gone to heaven because there was no way that Mikaela Hyakuya - resident heartthrob, academic genius, and martial arts prodigy - excused himself to head straight for the raven-haired artist.
Okay, fine. So there might be some hero-worship going on here. Sue him.
The thing about Mikaela was the fact that he was pretty much good, the best was more like it, at everything. He was adept at both academic and sports, unlike Yuichiro, who was pretty much average when it came to the former. Mikaela was like a celebrity, popular outside and within the model class, and even if Yuichiro was the best artist, he never expected Mikaela to-
But wait. He was getting ahead of himself. What if Mikaela wasn't even moving to approach Yuichiro? What if he was going over to someone more his league behind Yuichiro?
Heart thundering in his chest, Yuichiro glanced behind him, and sure enough, no one was there. Everyone else had moved the moment their teacher stopped discussing the kitchen themed project, all anxious to get their favorite model. Everyone except him.
The other artists watched, slack-jawed, as Mikaela slowed to a halt in front of Yuichiro. He couldn't exactly blame them because even he was having difficulty trying to keep the astonishment out of his face, and it was taking all his willpower to close his mouth and not gape.
Mikaela's blond hair fell over his blue eyes as his gaze swept over Yuichiro's face in a calculating manner, eyes following Yuichiro's Adam's apple as it bobbed up and down in the latter's nervousness. It wasn't his first time talking to someone so popular, and Yuichiro wouldn't have cared if it was just another famous kid. After all, he had drawn so many. But the thing was, this was Mikaela, and Yuichiro had admired him for so long.
Was he supposed to say something? Talk? Greet him? Grovel? Should he-
"Draw me.
It was brief, concise and to the point, and yet those two words made Yuichiro's heart buzz with nervous energy. His idol was asking him - Yuichiro - to draw him. Some part of him still couldn't believe it, even if his heart was already racing with excitement. Drawing Mikaela had been a desire of his ever since he had laid eyes on the guy while he was playing the violin on stage. Yuichiro longed to draw those hauntingly beautiful eyes, but he didn't have the courage to approach the blond because something about Mikaela just screamed fucking special.
"I-I'm sorry?"
Mikaela's lips twitched at Yuichiro's stupid reply. And if he wasn't the one asking for a favor, Yuichiro was sure that Mikaela would have left him mulling over his words until he finally understood them. "Yuichiro Ichinose, right?" he asked and without a confirmation, continued. "You're the best artist here, aren't you? I'd really like it if you'll be my partner for this project." Warmth blossomed from Yuichiro's heart and spread to his fingertips, and he could only nod dumbly in reply with what was probably the stupidest grin on his face.
The crowd who was talking to Mikaela before watched them with hawk-like eyes, and some sighed in disappointment while others looked resigned when they heard the question, but one particular face was filled with loathing. Even as the other artists dispelled to find someone else, the hairs on Yuichiro's nape refused to relax because of the eyes boring holes behind his head.
Freaking pink haired freak. Yuichiro's right brow twitched in annoyance and he sent a venomous look over his shoulder, mouthing a curse word as he did so. Kimizuki gave him the finger before marching away, and Yuichiro couldn't help but scowl despite feeling a sense of schadenfreude that came with his victory.
Mikaela cleared his throat, causing Yuichiro to whip around and snap to attention. The blond raised his right hand hesitantly, blue eyes a little wary as they regarded Yuichiro's innocent smiling face. "Mikaela Hyakuya," he introduced, nodding. Yuichiro nodded back, doubting the fact that a single person who hadn't heard the name 'Mikaela Hyakuya' existed. Fuck it, he was exaggerating, but he surely didn't care. Hell, if Yuichiro had been any less of a man, he would have whooped and jumped around in excitement.
"Well, you know me already," Yuichiro said with a smile that was accompanied with a casual shrug of his shoulders. Mikaela blinked down at him, and it took a little time for Yuichiro to realize that he sounded just a tiny bit arrogant. "I mean-"
Mikaela snorted quietly and looked away as he shoved his hands down his trousers, a small smile twisting at the corners of his mouth. "Confident, aren't you?"
"No! Wait, yes, I mean- yeah, I usually am, but- but not this time!" Yuichiro flushed red, hating the fact that he was stuttering and gestured wildly at the empty chairs around them. "Sit down already!" he snapped, scowling. He had already made a fool out of himself, and looking up at Mikaela while they were talking made him feel a lot smaller than he was used to the feeling.
The blond hummed low in his throat as he took a seat on the chair in front of Yuchiro. "Guess I forgot."
Yuichiro frowned at him, brows furrowed. "Forgot? How can you-" he stopped short and mentally kicked himself to the deepest pits of hell as Mikaela stared at him blankly. The question was, how could he forget? Mikaela probably wasn't used to having a lot of space, since he came from an orphanage that was full of children, and Yuichiro didn't want to look like a spoiled brat in front of the artist. Furthermore, everyone knew that it was a sore topic for the blond. Not because he was ashamed of where he came from, but because Mikaela hated his parents to the very core, and whenever he was reminded of where he was staying, Mikaela remembered that he had been abandoned and left behind. The poor guy who had teased Mikaela about it during their first year still couldn't meet his eye after the fit the artist threw. "Um..." Yuichiro trailed off, then swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "Know what? Nevermind."
Clearing his throat provided some sort of sound, and thankfully that was enough to destroy the uncomfortable tension. "So..." He trailed off, wiping a clammy hand on the back of his neck and flinched when he was met with sweat. Mikaela raised a single elegant brow at him. "Where would you like to do this thing?"
Mikaela shrugged. "Truthfully, I prefer the orphanage, but there are a lot of kids there." He paused and stared at Yuichiro, as if waiting for a reaction, but Yuichiro didn't even bat an eye. If flinching was his signature and Mikaela's wrath symbolized the contract, then he'd best keep still as possible. After all, the raven head wasn't ready to sign his death sentence. "The best place would be yours. You already have the materials necessary, and it's not like you don't have a kitchen."
"Makes sense." Yuichiro nodded and was about to contribute an idea when Mikaela shuffled awkwardly in his chair causing the artist to stop short. "What is it?"
Mikaela blinked and heaved a sigh. "I just... I think that it would be better to make at least three drawings...?" At the sight of his partner's dumbfounded face, Mikaela quickly backtracked and said rather hurriedly, "It's fine if you don't want to!"
"Three drawings? A single drawing needs to be framed and painted! Are you sure we can accomplish that and pass it in time?"
"The duration of the project is a whole month, and if we meet at least thrice a week, we can accomplish plenty," Mikaela huffed with what looked suspiciously like a pout. "And even if we can't finish them all, we can just pass what we completed and keep what we didn't." Yuichiro opened his mouth to say something, but Mikaela had already spoken before he could get a word out. "But yeah, you're right." He shrugged. "I mean, you of all people should know what you can and can't achieve."
"Woah, woah." Yuichiro laughed. "Are you doubting my abilities?"
Mikaela stared at him, face unreadable and his eyes scorching. Yuichiro felt naked and thoroughly violated as blue eyes studied his face. He felt like some sort of exotic specimen on display in a zoo. "No," the blond slowly stated as if talking to a child. "I just meant-"
"You know what?" the artist interjected indignantly with right eye twitching in annoyance. "I can finish three portraits. So three fucking portraits it is."
Mikaela nodded, his eyes gleaming triumphantly.
"Cool. Let's just talk about the other two when we've finished the first one."
The first painting was to be drawn in Yuichiro's house, two days after the announcement of the project, and Mikaela hadn't even stepped in his house yet when Yuichiro truly decided that the model wasn't as angelic as he looked.
"It's clean!" Mikaela blurted out the moment Yuichiro opened the door. The latter tried not to be offended, he really did, but it was hard when there was an expression of complete and genuine surprise painted on Mikaela's face.
"Of course, it's clean!" Yuchiro grumbled, the sound almost drowned out by the loud honking of the cars passing by. He scowled at Mikaela's twitching face as the blond tried to fight off a smile, and Yuichiro couldn't help but feel slightly less angry at the sight. "I'm not a pig, you know."
Mikaela looked away, blue eyes laughing and said, "I know... I was just-"
"-Surprised? Yeah, I get it," Yuichiro interjected whilst he rolled his eyes. "Just come in already!" He didn't turn around to check if Mikaela did - the sound of the door closing satisfied him - and made a beeline for the couch, dropping his bag beside it as he did so.
His flat wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. The benefits of having a pilot as your step-dad slash big brother, Yuichiro mused. Guren had more money than he knew what to do with and most of it was spent on making sure that Yuichiro lived comfortably. Of course, having a rich ass "uncle" certainly helped, and Shinya really really spoiled him.
With a start, it dawned on Yuichiro what he must look like - sprawled on the couch in a moderately sized living room with no care in the world - to a guy who has been spending most of his life in an orphanage. His not-spoiled-at-all image went down the drain, his heart along with it. Yuichiro looked back at the doorway to find Mikaela fiddling with is bag strap near the doorway as he looked around the room, unsure.
Yuichiro cleared his throat and felt his hand twitch in surprise when Mikaela's blue eyes snapped to his and wasn't it funny that the sun decided to peek out behind the clouds that very moment and bathe Mikaela in its golden glow. Mouth suddenly dry and mind a mess of colors, he paused for a second too long before the rambling started and he was on his feet. "Uh, get in here already! You plan on standing all day? That doesn't look very comfortable- hell, I'm sure it's not comfortable like at all so just sit down, yeah? Actually, do you want to eat? Cause, boy, do I feel like eating. So, um, take a food- I mean seat! Go sit! I'll, uh, go get us food so we can eat because, ya know, food for the soul and stuff. And then- then we can, um, talk about this project and-"
"Ichinose-kun," Mikaela interjected softly, cutting Yuichiro's rambling short. He had dropped his bag next to Yuichiro's the moment the latter opened his mouth and went to sit on the single chair to his right.
"Uh, yeah?" Yuichiro swallowed, heart thundering in his chest and his whole face aflame as Mikaela smiled up at him; in amusement or fondness, he didn't know.
"Breathe."
And like a magic spell had been cast, Yuichiro sucked in the much-needed air in an attempt to calm his rapidly beating heart. He looked at where Mikaela had been standing a few minutes ago and was filled with a sudden want. He needed to get that image on paper.
"Besides, we already talked about the project, remember?" Mikaela continued on smoothly. "So why don't you go get your art materials while I ready myself?"
Too overwhelmed to argue, Yuichiro could only nod and follow said instructions. His room was on the left of the living room, and with his desire to get as far away from Mikaela as possible, reached it in a matter of seconds.
"Hyakuya?" he called, hesitating by the doorway. Mikaela looked up from his phone and looked at him expectantly. Yuichiro felt the tips of his ears grow hot but plowed on.
"It's Yuu."
The door slammed shut before Mikaela could reply.
All the deep breaths Yuichiro took before opening the door had been in vain because he was not expecting This.
Yuichiro stared, utterly dumbfounded before a laugh bubbled out of him. Mikaela pursed his lips, and no, no that is not a pout. Fuck it, who the hell looks that cute while pouting?
"Well, it's now pretty obvious that I didn't choose you because of your maturity," he deadpanned. Yuichiro would have stopped because he was sure that he was being rude, but Mikaela wasn't really mad. And besides, that blank expression on that face and clothes and hairstyle just wasn't intimidating.
Yuichiro doubled over, laughing. "You have pigtails!!"
"Very observant." He was smiling. Mikaela was smiling, and Yuichiro hadn't felt this warm in a long time. Not since-
"You look like a girl, Hyakuya," he observed with a snort.
Mikaela raised a brow and crossed his arms to appear more intimidating. "And is there something wrong with looking like a girl, Yuu-chan?"
Yuichiro stopped short. He... he didn't offend him, did he? "Well, no. I mean- if you're into that sort of thing... You'd-" he mumbled in embarrassment before his brain caught up to him and barely stopped himself from saying how pretty a girl Mikaela would be. Yuichiro blinked. "Wait. What did you just call me?"
Mikaela innocently beamed. "Nothing," he denied as he walked to where the kitchen was. Of course, Yuichiro should have known that the blond was just lulling him into a false sense of security because not long after, Mikaela shot him a smirk. "Yuu-chan."
"No," Yuichiro blurted, trailing after the blond and dragging his easel and art supplies with him. "No, I- you can't call me that. It's just 'Yuu'."
The blond tilted his head to the side as he placed a finger on his lips thoughtfully. It was so theatrical that Yuichiro forgot for a moment what they were talking about. Or where they were. Or what his own name was. "It's just me, Yuu-chan?" Mikaela asked. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand, Yuu-chan. Can you please explain it one more time... Yuu-chan?"
Yuichiro snorted, rolling his eyes at the obvious bait. He set up his materials without a thought. "Oh, shut it, Mika."
Mikaela laughed, and if Yuichiro could draw it, it would be the night sky littered with thousands and thousands of twinkling stars. Out of reach and enigmatic but also very beautiful.
"Can I borrow a frying pan? And some eggs?"
The green-eyed artist nodded absent-mindedly. He could finish the draft in an hour, then maybe get started on the painting later at night since he didn't- Goddamit. He completely forgot about Guren. How could he forget? Yuichiro cursed under his breath.
"Hey... Mika?" he hesitantly asked. Was he allowed to call him Mika? Was it a thing? The blond hummed, busy arranging the kitchen utensils the way he wanted it to look. "I'm going to make a call, okay? You just... do what you gotta do."
Yuichiro didn't wait for a reply and was dialing Guren's number before he was fully out of the kitchen. He picked up after two rings.
"Guren, hey-"
"Shinya speaking," a bright voice interjected. Yuichiro made a knowing face at his phone.
"Oh, hey, Shinya, where's Guren?"
"Bathroom" he chirped happily. Shinya always wore a smile on his face. It would be creepy if Yuichiro wasn't already so used to it. "You just sit tight, Yuu. We're about to fly."
Yuichiro smiled and shot the kitchen a glance. "No, uh, that's what I wanted to ask. When will you arrive?"
"Past midnight, probably. Don't wait up for us, kiddo."
"Who said anything about waiting?"
Shinya laughed softly into the phone. "Did someone say anything about waiting? I didn't hear anything." And that was why Shinya was Yuichiro's favorite person. Ever.
"I gotta go," Yuichiro sighed. "I'm doing a project with someone here. Tell Guren I said hi."
"A friend?" Shinya said sharply, and Yuichiro could just see him straightening in interest. "You have a friend?"
Yuichiro scowled. That thing about Shinya being his favorite person? Nope, never happened.
"Go to hell."
Shinya laughed again. "See you later, Yuu. Good luck."
When he returned, Mikaela was glaring at the refrigerator. Yuichiro cleared his throat and raised a blinked in slight alarm when the glare turned to him.
"There's no food in this place," Mikaela grumbled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. And, okay, that was true, but it didn't really tell Yuichiro what the problem was.
"So?"
"So," Mikaela stressed as he looked at the artist sternly, "how do you feed yourself?"
Yuichiro shrugged. "There's some instant ramen stacked in there when I'm too lazy to get takeout."
Mikaela made a sound of disgust whilst Yuichiro grinned. "Whatever." The blond sighed. "Let's just get started with this.
Mikaela was beautiful. It was a known fact, but it was a fact that Yuichiro wasn't used to being constantly shoved into his face. The blond was just so graceful and gentle and Yuichiro could not handle another second of his heart racing in his chest.
The artist was making Yuichiro question his... preferences. A thing he had been sure of ever since he was ten years old when Shinya brought Shinoa with him to meet Guren and, subsequently, Yuichiro. It was jarring and nerve-wracking and Yuichiro did not like it one bit.
He must have been staring a lot longer than what Mikaela deemed normal because his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What is it?"
Yuichiro shook his head, ignored the flush the had crept up his cheeks and tried to focus on drawing. He was being stupid, having a crisis in the middle of a project, but Mikaela was just so... everywhere. Drawing him made Yuichiro feel alive, noticing every physical detail he had was intense in a way that set fire in his veins.
Yuichiro was observant. He wouldn't miss small details even if he wanted to, and that was part of the reason why he was so great at what he did.
There was a downside to it, though. He couldn't miss small details even if he wanted to. Small details like how amazingly good black looked on Mikaela, how it brought out the blueness of his eyes or how Mikaela's hands seemed to shake, just the tiniest bit. It was details like that - stupid ones - that was the reason for Yuichiro's crisis.
Yuichiro tried to go ignore how clammy his hands were as he drew and tried to get lost in the feeling of the pencil in his hand and the serenity that overcame him whenever he was drawing. He succeeded, for the most part. Although there were times when he would catch his hand stilling as he admired the way the sunlight caught in Mikaela's hair; the small smile playing on the blond's lips as if he was sharing a secret.
He didn't realize that he had been drawing for so long and jumped in surprise when Mikaela's soft voice shattered the silence around them.
"Can we take a break? My legs feel like collapsing."
Yuichiro's eyes snapped to the clock hanging by the door in surprise. It had been over two hours since they started. He was a little surprised that Mikaela had only complained then, but he did hear about his professionalism. He glanced at the pad in his hand and was surprised to find the drawing almost completely finished except for small details here and there.
"Just a minute," he replied, rubbing the dot he made on Mikaela's neck a little impatiently. The mole was placed lower than that dammit. "I'm almost done."
Mikaela hummed in response, and with a few strokes here and there, Yuichiro was finally finished. He smiled at his work, completely satisfied and ran an admiring hand over it. For some reason, the drawing was better than all his previous ones combined. Yuichiro wasn't sure if it was because it was Mikaela who modeled for him or because he put a lot more effort into it than the others or a combination of the two.
"You can rest now." Yuichiro shook his head in amusement as Mikaela tried to shake off the stiffness in his whole body. He was still a little baffled over how normal Mikaela acted.
Mikaela's bone made a cracking sound that echoed around the room, and Yuichiro grimaced a bit. Then Mikaela stuttered forward, surprise etched on his face, and Yuichiro had to restrain himself not to cry out. Luckily, Mikaela gripped the edge of the counter in time.
Yuichiro hastily walked over to him and wound an arm around his shoulder to support. Mikaela froze, shoulders stiff with tension, and Yuichiro froze along with him. Had he been too forward? Maybe Mikaela was one of those guys who hated physical contact... Yuichiro had never seen him initiate physical contact with anyone besides Krul and Ferid, and then here came Yuichiro, casually putting an arm around him.
It felt like minutes had trickled by until Mikaela finally relaxed under his hold. Yuichiro didn't even bother to hide his breath of relief and blinked in surprise when a hint of a smile danced over Mikaela's features.
Yuichiro led Mikaela to sit on the couch, and the blond sat with no complaint. Mikaela massaged his legs, a somewhat irritated look that wasn't quite there yet about him.
"You can stay for a while if you like," Yuichiro offered, face flushed and head turned away from Mikaela. "It's my fault for not letting you take a break, after all."
Mikaela didn't speak for a long time, and Yuichiro was beginning to think that he may be fonder of silence than people when finally, he did.
"Okay, Yuu-chan." Yuichiro whipped around so fast, he was kind of surprised that his head was still attached to his shoulder. But there was just something about Mikaela's voice, something... warm, and when Yuichiro looked at him, he was sure that he stopped breathing. Mikaela was smiling at him. Gently. It was gentle and directed at him and Yuichiro felt... he felt so fuzzy inside and kind of invincible. He must have gasped because Mikaela laughed,and it was neither mocking nor insulting. "Thank you."
Yuichiro felt heat creep up his cheeks. "I need to, uh, put my supplies away." Mikaela's eyes, filled with amusement, followed him as he all but ran out of the room.
When he returned, head a lot cooler than before, Mikaela was reading on the couch, feet spread out before him in a relaxing manner. It was so odd, Yuichiro decided, to see Mikaela - of all people - to be so at ease in his house.
Yuichiro didn't know how long he stood there, watching before Mikaela took notice of him. "Oh. Hi, Yuu-chan," he said casually. Yuichiro's heart stuttered in his chest. "How long have you been there?"
The raven-head licked his lips, mouth dry, and considered lying. "A while."
Mika studied him for a while before he nodded. "I need to go now. Same time tomorrow?" And that was when Yuichiro noticed the backpack on the ground next to him.
"Yes," Yuichiro confirmed, walking him to the door. "Should I- should I walk you home?"
Mikaela stared at him, bemused, and Yuichiro felt like killing himself over and over again. "No," he rejected as he stared at Yuichiro curiously. "Why would you do that?" Well, fuck, Yuichiro didn't know.
"N-nothing. I just... I thought-"
Mikaela raised a brow in question, and Yuichiro had to physically resist the urge to push him out the door. Doing so would prove to be disastrous since the road was in front of the house, and Yuichiro had no desire to see Mika's brain splattered on the sidewalk.
"Goodbye, Mika!"
That night, Yuichiro tossed and turned in his bed, but sleep would not come to him. It was just uneasiness at first, then his fingers started twitching and he knew that he would go crazy if he didn't have a pencil in hand at the very next moment. His hands moved on their own accord, creating lines and stroke and then he lost himself in the drawing. This would happen sometime. Yuichiro would get random bursts of inspiration and he just had to draw.
Yuichiro stared at the drawing in his hand when he was done. Contrasting emotions whirled inside him, and he honestly didn't know which of them would be deemed acceptable. He also had no idea if he wanted to keep the paper or to crumple it and bury it to the deepest depths of his trash can where Mikaela's beautiful soft smile wouldn't be able to haunt Yuichiro.
OMAKE
"Hey," Yuichiro said once they were taking a break when he was being particularly brave, "you do know that Mikaela is a girl name, right?"
Mikaela sighed and looked up from the book he was reading then at him, gaze fond. "Yes."
"Does it bother you?" Yuichiro asked as he twirled a pencil through his fingers. Mikaela shot him a look and the pencil fell to the ground.
"Does it bother you?"
"N-no..."
"Then it doesn't bother me." Mikaela looked satisfied and nodded before focusing on his book again, leaving Yuichiro to wonder as to what the hell that meant.